


Steam

by catapparel



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Barely T rated, Mutual Pining, Shower trope, Unresolved Sexual Tension, sfw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:29:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25413973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catapparel/pseuds/catapparel
Summary: Ava is drawn to the Detective after a minor mishap in the shower.Set somewhere in Book 1. Gentle, SFW.
Relationships: Detective/Ava du Mortain
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	Steam

"Well, damn."

Water continues to drip off the Detective’s body as they glare at the offending, empty, towel rack. A memory flashes through their dull exhaustion, helpfully reminding them their full laundry basket is sitting right next to the washer, just waiting to be run. The week had been a hectic one, like all the others since the arrival of Unit Bravo, and laundry hadn't exactly been on the forefront of the Detective's mind.

After another run in with Murphy's milk-eyed thralls just that evening, bruises, blood, and exhaustion had driven the Detective to make a beeline for the shower as soon as Unit Bravo trudged their weary souls back into the apartment.

And now they cast their gaze about their steam filled bathroom. Their pile of bloodstained, grimy clothes sits in a rusty heap on the tile. The Detective gives it a critical look. Not exactly inviting to put back on. They might catch something from the four different shades of miscellaneous gristle spattering their shirt.

Soft, indistinct conversation drifts under the doorway as they stoop down and rip open their cabinets. A forgotten stack of folded laundry might be there; done once upon a time when they weren't being hunted by the faux undead. The Detective can hear the familiar teasing tone of Farah’s voice earning a growl from one of the moodier vampires outside. They snap the bare cupboard shut in annoyance, rocking on their heels.

"A-ha!" The Detective let's out a little exclamation of glee as they spot a scrap of cotton peeking out from the gap between their old tin bath and the foggy glass of the shower.

They yank it from its hidey-hole, and the smile drops from their face as fast as it had appeared once they shake out the material.

It's a wash cloth. About 5 square inches of material to work with.

Ava would envy the growl the Detective makes as they set about trying to mop themselves up as best they can.

\---

"So, whatcha thinking about, Ava?" Farah enquires in a sing-song voice, sauntering over to the stiff form of the Unit Bravo leader. She's in her usual place, arms folded and brooding out of the raindrop streaked window. She gives a non-committal grunt.

"It wouldn't happen to be our most delightful Detective, would it?" Farah hikes herself up onto the windowsill directly in front of Ava with a smirk, drawing a glare from the fair-haired leader.

"They do have.. quite a scent, don't they." Nat replies softly, as if it were an accidental admission.

Ava frowns. Both she and Farah look over to their teammate and friend. Nat reclines on the Detective’s old, but sinfully soft leather sofa, staring off into the dim hall. A hazy sliver of light streams around the edges of the Detective’s bathroom door. She winds a strand of brown hair through her fingers, eyes far away; a peaceful expression on her face.

Ava can't deny it. Unit Bravo's assignation to protect the Detective in their own home came with its challenges. Such as the way every time the Detective takes a shower, their personal bouquet floods the entire apartment from wall to wall. The majority of the vampires present end up almost entranced.

To Ava it's almost.. intoxicating. Healthy human blood has its draw to any vampire, just like the smell of freshly baked bread from Haley's bakery in the mornings entices half of the town into her store. But the Detective's scent..

It's different.

Ava can't help it when she takes a deep breath. She tries not to close her eyes as their scent washes over her. Her skin tingles, her mind fuzzes, and she finds her gaze drawn like a magnet to the same door both Nat and Farah still regard.

The only one that seems to remain unaffected is Morgan. To the layperson, that is. The dark haired vampire slouches, retrieving another endless cigarette from her pocket. A puff of sparks and smoke surrounds her like a fog. Ava's gaze flicks in her directions, and she knows even now Morgan struggles as much as the rest of them. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a pile of empty cigarette cartons filling up the trash can in the corner.

"Why are they taking so damn long, anyway? It's freezing in here and I don't know how to work that stupid fire." Morgan jabs her cigarette at the Detective’s rickety old pot-belly stove. A flicker of ash floats toward the metal beast; lying dormant and cold.

Farah opens her mouth - no doubt to make some kind of sassy reply - when a crash echoes from the bathroom.

All four vampires snap their heads to the source of the sound. Ava is already at the bathroom door before any of the others think to blink, let alone take a step.

"Detective?" She calls through the doorframe.

\---

"I'm alright! I'm alright. Just let me.." the Detective huffs and puffs as they attempt to heave their aching body from the tile.

They groan and rub the new lump at their temple, a pretty addition to their already bruised crown. They try in vain to shake away the stinging pain from the fall, not noticing the slick of crimson that stains their palm. Memories from childhood flash in their ringing skull; Rebecca chiding them over leaving slippery puddles of water on the floor.

"Detective? What happened?"

They glance up at the strained concern in Ava's voice as it floats under the door. They sigh, looking back down at their now somewhat dry, yet still uncovered expanse of skin.

"I slipped and bumped my head," They admit through gritted teeth, pinching their brows at the foolishness of the situation. "I'm fine."

There's a long pause before Ava replies again, and the Detective glances to the floor as they see her shadow blot out more of the doorframe. Blood drips onto the tile.

"Are you feeling light headed? Can you stand?"

The Detective sighs as they stumble forward onto their knees. They lean forward to rest a hand against the closed door between them. It's half due to exhaustion, but the other half.. Well, the other is that there's an undeniable softness to Ava’s voice, and it curls up their spine like a warm caress.

"I.. No, I-"

"No?" The concern returns to Ava’s voice doublefold. "Move aside Detective, I'm coming in."

The Detective snaps a hand to the already twisting door handle, the other frantically reaching for their scrap of a washcloth.

"No! Wait, Ava, I'm not-"

It happens in a blur. The bathroom door yanks open, Ava strides inside, and promptly crashes into the Detective, trying to cover their bits and pieces with far too little cloth.

\---

Ava blinks. At first to try and clear her senses from the literal cloud of the Detective’s alluring scent now wafting over her and out of the open door. And then to try and process what she's seeing.

The Detective winces to their full height in front of her, a hair's breadth away. Their skin is flushed from the heat and the steam. A stream of rust coloured water drips down the side of their face. Ava's eyes lock onto one of the droplets as it makes its lazy journey from the gash at the Detective's temple, trickles off the rigid angle of their jaw, and continues its achingly slow path over the rushing heartbeat she can see pounding in the Detective's neck.

That's not all she can see. Her eyes move of their own accord, down all the sharp lines, gentle curves and multi-coloured bruises that comprise her Detective's body. Her hands twitch in instinct at her sides, fingers flexing, wanting to reach..

A moment passes, and it's not until Ava's gaze drags itself back up to the Detective's blushing face that the situation begins to dawn on her.

"I forgot to grab a towel." They say, but their voice is cracked and breathless, and their eyes are staring at her, and every taut, damp, muscle in their body seems to be angling towards her.

Ava can feel her whole body electric with.. Something. Something she hasn't felt in a long time, until meeting the stubborn, infuriating, close to touch..

Until the Detective, so near they are dripping water onto her boots.

\---

The Detective knows Ava can hear that their breath is stuttering in their throat. They know she can probably see their pulse racing through their neck. Hell, she can probably hear the hairs growing on their head. But what they can see that has their pulse rushing so loud in their ears it sounds like a waterfall; is the way she is looking back at them.

Ava's stoic mask so rarely slips, and when it does, to the Detective it's like a burst of sunshine breaking through a thundercloud. But Ava doesn't wear sunshine or thunder now. She wears tension, and heat, and they can't stop their eyes from dropping to her lips. Her soft, pink lips, not set in a line or pursed, but half-open in surprise and only inches away from their own.

"Ava.."

The woman in question can't stop herself when she hears her name slip from the Detective’s mouth, how their voice has dropped an octave, how they stare so obviously at her half-parted lips. Her hand reaches up to - to do something. To brush away that drop of water from their collarbone, to stroke her thumb over their lips, to just grab them by the back of their neck and yank them down to her..

But..

But a blur of white fabric sails past Ava's shoulder, and collects all of her stray thoughts as it smacks the Detective directly in the face.

"Mmph-!" They reel back with a stumble, hands instinctively raising to grab the towel that had been so unceremoniously thrown in their direction.

The washcloth hits the ground just as the rest of Unit Bravo crowd around the door.

**Author's Note:**

> Special thank you to [@Ladyelori](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyelori) and [@Rosejelly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosejelly) for your wonderful contributions. You inspired me to write this small snippet after reading your fantastic Ava pieces. Please check out their works!


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